under $20

HOT: Pop Up Tonkotsu Ramen, Wabi Sabi Salon, 94 Smith St, Collingwood

June 9, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

Thank you long weekend! It seems that most people have taken the opportunity of a 3 day weekend to head out of town, leaving the ramen-hunting to the rest of us. One of my favourite Japanese restaurants Wabi Sabi Salon is offering Tonkotsu Ramen Sundays, an interesting alternative to the Sunday roast. Until further notice [...]

HOT: Small Victories, 617 Rathdowne St, Carlton North

May 29, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

Small Victories has a lot to live up to. In The Age’s 2013 Good Food Under $30 Guide it won ‘Best Breakfast Spot of the Year’ – quite an accolade in a city which I think out-breakfasts anywhere else in Australia. The cafe is nestled among some residential terraces in tree-lined Rathdowne Street and the homely [...]

HOT: Masak Masak, 230 Smith St, Collingwood

May 20, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

Masak Masak has carved out a niche on restaurant-heavy Smith Street with its take on Malaysian hawker food. As soon as you walk into the bright and funky restaurant you’ll notice the charcoal barbeque front and centre. My (Asian) parents were very impressed with this piece of equipment as it’s rare for them to see [...]

HOT: Afghanistan Pop Up cafe, Melbourne Museum, Nicholson St, Carlton

May 8, 2013 ⋅ 3 comments

Every year Melbourne Museum hosts a special winter international exhibition and this year’s showcase Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures is from the National Museum of Kabul. If you’re visiting the exhibition (or even if you’re not) you may not be aware that just outside the entrance is a pop up cafe that serves tastes of the region. [...]

HOT: Atico bar and Fonda Mexican, 144 Chapel St, Windsor

April 29, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

By the looks of the ceaseless stream of people waiting to eat at Fonda Mexican on a weeknight, Melbourne can’t get enough of this Mexican wave we’re riding. So much so that Fonda Mexican has branched out from its small Richmond digs to skip across the river to Prahran. The second Fonda Mexican is bigger, brighter [...]

HOT: Hollywood Costume, ACMI, Federation Square

April 26, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

If you like fashion, design, movies or movie stars, do not miss ACMI’s Winter Masterpiece exhibition this year, Hollywood Costume which explores the role costume design plays in cinema. It comes to Melbourne via the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and it’s one of the best curated exhibitions I’ve visited recently. It doesn’t just consist of a [...]

HOT: Bayte, 56 Johnston St, Collingwood

April 20, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

It’s not often that I have a meal where every dish is faultless. And when I do have such an experience I want to shout it from the rooftops! So today I say – get thee to Bayte (bay-tee)! Bayte is a casual cafe/restaurant serving home-style Lebanese cuisine inspired by the chef’s grandmother’s recipes and childhood dishes. [...]

HOT: Baker D Chirico, 178 Faraday St, Carlton

March 31, 2013 ⋅ 2 comments

Happy Easter! Every year my quest for Melbourne’s best hot cross buns starts the day after Shrove Tuesday. I don’t give anything up for Lent – instead I start eating a lot of fruit and spice bread products. Rather than write a long-winded post about all the good, bad and ugly hot cross buns I’ve [...]

HOT: Hammer and Tong 412, rear 412 Brunswick St (enter from Westgarth St), Fitzroy

March 22, 2013 ⋅ 3 comments

Fitzroy, I can’t keep up with you! I was walking along Brunswick Street a few weeks ago when I noticed that the ill-fated Brix restaurant had been resurrected into a cafe called Hammer & Tong 412 with a vaguely Communist looking logo on its doorstep. I made a mental note to visit and have only had [...]

HOT: Cantina della Casa, 13 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

March 20, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

The domination of Gertrude Street by the McConnell brothers (Andrew and Matt) continues with another establishment opening, this time a cafe/deli/providore/bottle shop called Cantina della Casa. The small shop next door to Casa Ciuccio has been given a bright white makeover with unobstrusive smatterings of Latino flavour. One wall is dominated by a wine fridge [...]

Search Melbourne